I'm Your Protector
by RoseKatnissWeasley7
Summary: Nina Martin isn't who she says she is. She's got a secret, and it has something to do with one of her housemates. Who? And what exactly is it? Kind of a Percy Jackson crossover, but I didn't really use any PJ characters. R&R! Rated T cuz I said so!
1. Prologue

**A/N: This idea really just came to me in the middle of math class. I was staring at the board trying to figure out how to simplify square root expressions and BAM! **_**Oooh, what would happen if I wrote this? **_**Well I decided to find out. Let me know what you think, and if I should continue it!**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN HOUSE OF ANUBIS OR PERCY JACKSON. **

I'm Your Protector Chapter 1

The cab pulls up the stone road. It's been a long ride to the Liverpool boarding school, but I've got my purpose and it is my main goal. I can't get sidetracked, or distracted in any way, shape, or form. I could be a matter of life of death, not only for me, but for another person.

Because of the long drive, I ended up having a deep conversation with the cab driver. I learned he has three kids, one of which is headed off to college soon, and he's been married to his wife for sixteen years. When he asked me my story I told him my cover.

In reality, I'm Annabeth Jackson II, second generation demigod, named after my mom. My father is Percy Jackson. Or, was. My parents were killed by a demon when I was nine. Even so, I've been training as a demigod for my entire life, which is why I'm the most skilled fighter at Camp Half Blood. It's also why I've been sent on this mission. I'm also pretty powerful. I inherited the magic of both my parents. Just like my father, I can control water, talk to horses, and heal myself with water. Just like my mother, I'm terrified of spiders, I can produce a brilliant plan out of thin air, and I was born with a bunch of useless facts swirling around in my head that can help me solve any problem I come across. I've got light brown hair, a result of my blonde mother and brunette father. My eyes are an unsettling grey, like my mother's. Unfortunately, my dad's dyslexia and ADHD was also passed down to me, because my brain is hardwired for Ancient Greek.

But that's the real me. Right now, I'm an act. I'm Nina Martin, a bright girl with good grades and perfect behavior (did I mention not to mess with me? I've got a smart attitude and I'm not afraid to tell someone off if I want to). So that's what I told the cab driver.

When we pull up to the building, I pay him and thank him. That's what Nina would do, right? Say "thank you"? I need to get this act perfect, it's all riding on me.

I need to get on my target's good side, and get them to trust me, before I tell them the secret. Before I tell them what they are.

Before I can tell them what their life will become.

**A/N: Hopefully this covered everything about Nina/Annabeth II's life. If you have any questions throughout the story, just PM me.**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	2. Chapter 1

**A/N: Here's the first actual chapter of "I'm Your Protector" where stuff actually starts happening! Yay! **

**Disclaimer: Do I even need to say it? I obviously don't own House of Anubis or Percy Jackson. If I owned House of Anubis, Fabina would just be permanently together without all the Joy drama. If I owned Percy Jackson, Annabeth and Percy would have become a couple in at least the fourth book. Anyway, here we go…**

I'm Your Protector Chapter 1

Grabbing hold of my things, I walk up to the front door of Anubis House, the residence I need to stay at. I open the door and walk inside, where I am greeted by a woman with dark hair and warm brown eyes.

"Hello dear, you must be Nina! I'm Trudy, your housemother. I'll just lay everything out for you. Breakfast is at 7:30 every morning, lunch is served at noon on the weekends, and dinner is at 6:30. You'll be sharing a room with Amber. I think she's up there right now. Why don't you go get settled?" she says.

"Thank you, Trudy," I say, and I drag my suitcase up the stairs and into the room she directed me to. I'm almost blinded by the room

EVERYTHING IS PINK.

PINK.

There's a girl in the corner, putting up a picture on the wall. She turns around when she hears me come in.

"Ooooh! You must be Nina! I can't wait to get to know you, I just KNOW we're going to be best friends!" she squeals. "I'm Amber, by the way!"

I smile, hoping it's convincing. As of right now, Amber and I have nothing in common. I hate the color pink (I'm more of an orange person) and I've never cared much for makeup or clothes, which Amber seems to choose very carefully. This act is going to be a lot harder than I thought.

"Yeah, I'm Nina. Nice to meet you!"

"Oh my gosh, are you from America? Trudy didn't mention that! You'll have to tell me everything!" Amber says in awe.

"Well why don't we do that now? We need to get to know each other anyway. Ask away!" I exclaim.

"Okay! Do you have a boyfriend?" Amber asks. Go figure. The pink loving dumb blonde asks that question first.

"No," I reply honestly. I haven't fallen for anyone since Henry, and I don't like to talk about that.

"Do you have a lot of friends, then?"

"You could say that. There's Justin, Kaitlin, Leonard, Georgie, and Chantelle. They're my closest friends." That was a lie. Even though most everyone at camp knows my name, most o them are to afraid of me to even come close. They know I've got a temper and I'm secretive about most everything. That's one of the reasons this mission is the hardest ones I've been on – Nina Martin is nothing like me.

Amber goes on asking questions and I go on answering them. Before you know it, she knows pretty much every insignificant detail about the person I'm pretending to be. I just hope I can remember all of this…

**A/N: Any questions, ask me, any suggestions, leave a review! Thanks for reading!**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	3. Chapter 2

**A/N: Here's the next chapter of this story! I'm going to try to update every other day or so, but for now, ENJOY!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis. I don't own Percy Jackson either. Isn't that just a bundle of joy?**

Amber and I are interrupted by Trudy.

"Dearies! Come down for supper!" she calls.

Amber grabs me by the wrist and drags me down the stairs. Everyone is staring when we walk into the dining room. I'm not surprised, since they've got no clue who the heck I am.

"Hi, everyone," I say weakly. Meeting new people has never been my strong point, so it's not going to be Nina's either. "I'm Nina Martin. I'm from America."

Everyone responds with "Hello" or "Hey".

Then Amber introduces everyone to me.

She points to a girl who looks kind of gothic, with red hair and heavy black eyeliner. "That's Patricia." Patricia waves halfheartedly.

"That's Jerome." Amber has turned to a tall boy with blondish hair and blue eyes. Then, referring to the dark skinned skinny boy sitting next to Jerome, says, "And that's Alfie. Those two are like, the pranksters. I would avoid them if I were you." I make a mental note to listen to that advice. Even though the idea of pranking seems very fun to me, I'm supposed to be the good girl who gets good grades and is very smart.

Speaking of smart, the next girl Amber introduces is Mara. Amber explains that Mara is a bookworm and has some of the best grades in the school. Then she points to Mick, the blonde sporty one. Apparently they're dating and I can't flirt with him without Amber killing me. Because I was _totally_ planning on it. Notice the sarcasm.

That's everyone at the table, but something is missing. Some_one_ is missing. My target. The person I came to this brand new continent for.

There are footsteps behind me, and I know he's coming. No one else can hear it yet, but my highly trained ears can pick up sounds from yards away. Us demigods always need to be on the lookout for monsters.

I turn around with Amber, when she says, "Oh there you are Fabian!"

There he is, Fabian Rutter. Son of Zeus. Technically, even though his dad and my grandfather are brothers, they hate each other and we're supposed to hate each other too. However, something tells me that might not be happening.

He's honest to gods one of _the _most drop dead gorgeous people I've ever met. His bright blue eyes lock onto mine and everything is quiet. Finally Amber breaks the ice.

"So, Nina, this is Fabian. Fabian, this is Nina, she's my new roommate, from America."

"Um, hi," I make out. _Um, hi? Get it together, Annabeth. You need to get close to this guy and that won't happen if you can't even talk to him!_

"Hey," he says. "Nice to meet you, Nina."

"Same here," I reply, quickly recovering from my earlier stuttering. I sit next to him at dinner, and everyone is pretty quiet. Soon enough everyone is headed back to their rooms and we're the only ones left at the table.

"So," I say. "Tell me about it here! I'm dying to know what everyone is really like."

He laughs. "Well, what if I want to hear more about you first?"

I get the familiar sinking feeling that I have to lie. Then I open my mouth and begin.


	4. Chapter 3

**A/N: Wow! I'm utterly shocked to see how many people have read my story so far, considering that its only been up like overnight. Thank you to each and every one of you who are reading! I'm not going to keep you waiting any longer, here you go!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis or Percy Jackson.**

~NINA'S POV~

After introducing myself to Fabian I go upstairs. He seemed to really like the person who Nina is. I wonder what he'll say when I have to tell him what I'm really like. Unless…

_What would happen if I changed? If it wasn't all an act?_

Instead of just pretending to be the good girl, with the good grades, and responsible friends, I could _become_ her.

What am I thinking? That's ridiculous. My mission is to come here, get on Fabian's good side, and then bring him to Camp Half Blood. I'm getting distracted. Why am I getting distracted? That's never happened before…

I'm just going to do this as quickly as possible so I can get back to camp. I miss Troy and Dylan. They're my best friends, the only ones at camp who aren't actually afraid of me. We're constantly causing trouble, pulling pranks and telling jokes. They train with me, too, because they're second generation like me. It's like the three of us are attached at the hip. Chiron even calls us "The Three Stooges" sometimes.

Then there's Mark. I've never told anyone, but I've had a crush on him for ages. He's one of the smartest, toughest people at camp, and we've got sort of a love-hate relationship. I'm fairly sure he likes me too. I don't want to let Fabian replace him, considering he doesn't even know who I really am. Heck, he doesn't even know who _he _really is.

Amber looks up from her magazine when I step into the room. She quickly gets up and shuts the door behind me.

"You like Fabian!" It's not a question.

"Amber! I've only known him for like, three hours! How could I _like _him?" I ask.

"Don't deny it Nina! I saw the way you looked at him. You seemed so happy! And you know what?" she smiles.

"Oh gods, Amber, what?" I sigh.

"Did you just say oh _gods_?" Amber asks, confused. Crap. I need to be more careful about that.

"No."

Amber just shakes her head. "I was probably hearing things. Anyway, Fabian likes you too! I've known him for years, I know what he's like. He's just so _nice_ to you! Not that he isn't nice to the rest of us girls, but it's different with you. He laughed and smiled more tonight than ever! He's normally extremely quiet and doesn't talk at all!"

"Really?" I ask, my eyes wide. I try to shake it off. I'm here to get Fabian to camp, so he can fulfill the prophecy, and that's all. I can't fall for him!

"Yes! He's _totally _in love with you Nina," Amber says.

"Amber, whatever it is, he's not in love with me. No guy has _ever _been in love with me." That's completely true. I've got terrible experience with love. When I fall, I fall hard. That's why I can't let Fabian get to me. It will just end in heartbreak when he finds out who I truly am.

"I'm telling you! You'll see eventually." Amber gives me a look, like she knows something I doesn't. It honestly wouldn't surprise me. I might be a descendant of the goddess of wisdom, but I sure didn't inherit and knowledge about boys.

"I'm going to bed, Amber. Goodnight."

"Nighty night!" she says dreamily. She falls asleep before I do, and I hear her murmuring.

"Fabina."

**A/N: How'd you like that chapter? Should I include Fabian's point of view in this story? Leave a review and let me know!**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	5. Chapter 4

**A/N: Thank you all SO much for the positive reviews! I'm really happy you're enjoying my story, because I'm enjoying writing it! For those of you who asked for a chapter in Fabian's POV, this is for you!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis or Percy Jackson. (This gets really annoying to have to type whenever you write a chapter.)**

FABIAN'S POV

I walk inside after strolling around the school grounds. I missed this place so much over the summer. Trudy told me we're getting a new girl at Anubis House. I can't wait to meet her. Mick sends me a text saying it's time for supper.

I know I'm a few minutes late when I walk in the door of the dining room, but I'm really not sure why everyone is staring at me.

Everything disappears when I see her. I look into her eyes. They're a startling grey, and for some reason they draw me in. Her hair is a wavy, light brown color. I don't even know who she is. Then Amber introduces us.

Her name is Nina. She sits next to me at the table, and no one really talks the whole time. The dining room slowly empties out until we're the only two people left in the room. We walk over to the couch and I convince her to tell me about herself.

"Well," she says, her eyes flashing with some unrecognizable feeling. "You already know that my name is Nina Martin and I'm from America. I got here on a scholarship. I don't exactly have many friends back home, just a few. I'm not the most popular or beautiful person, but I have to say I'm pretty content with my life. I'm an only child, and I live with my grandparents because my parents died in a car crash when I was nine."

My jaw drops. "I'm so sorry! That's awful!"

Nina just shakes her head. "Don't apologize, it's not like it's your fault or anything."

"You said before you didn't have a lot of friends? Why? You seem like such a nice person!" I exclaim.

Nina smiles. "Thanks, Fabian. I don't really know. I guess I just wasn't meant to be the popular person."

Soon enough, Trudy tells us we should go change into our pajamas and relax in our rooms. Nina begins to walk up the stairs.

"Goodnight!" I call.

"Night, Fabian."

I can't believe it. I've only just met Nina and I think I'm already in love with her. Is this what people mean when they say "love at first sight"? Mick can obviously tell I'm pretty distracted, because he asks me about it.

"Fabian, mate, what is up with you? You're acting really weird."

I shake my head, and sit down on my bed, taking out my guitar.

"It's Nina, isn't it? You like her!" Mick teases.

"Mick, I've only just met her!"

"You're not denying it!"

"Okay, okay," I say. "Maybe I like her a little."

"Judging from that smile on your face, you like her more than just a little. I mean, honestly, no guy ever smiles that big for a girl. I think you've broken the world record!"

I toss a pillow at Mick's face. "Shut up!" I say.

Then I lay my head down on my remaining pillow and pray that my dreams will be about Nina.

**A/N: Let me know how you liked it!**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	6. Chapter 5

**A/N: I'm so sorry it's been such a long time since I've updated! I've been working on my Maximum Ride story. Anyway, I shan't keep you waiting anymore! Here is the next chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own House of Anubis or Percy Jackson.**

NINA'S POV

When I walk down the stairs the next morning, it's incredibly loud. My first immediate thought is that Jerome and Alfie might be having one of those food fights she warned me about. I was correct.

Amber, Mara, and Fabian have all taken cover behind the couch and even though back at Camp I would always participate in a food fight, I know I need to do the same. I crouch down next to Fabian on the floor.

"Is this a regular thing?" I ask.

"Depends on your definition of regular," Fabian laughs. "More like every single day."

"What is going on here?" Victor's voice booms throughout the room. "Lewis, Clark, come with me!"

Standing from my crouching position, I watch Victor hand both of them toothbrushes. I was informed by Fabian yesterday the usual punishment Victor gives and try to suppress a laugh. I'm not the only one. When I glance at Patricia she has a ridiculous smile on her face.

"So," Mick says. "How about we eat breakfast undisturbed now?"

Patricia and I nod in agreement, and we all take our seats. Except Amber.

"Amber? Where are you?"

"I'm taking cover! Duh!" comes the muffled response from behind the couch.

"Taking cover from what?" I laugh. "There's no more food fight!"

She jumps up from behind the couch. "Oh! Okay then!"

We eat in silence, and then I race upstairs to grab my backpack. Then I meet Fabian at the bottom of the stairs.

"Fancy walking over with me?" he asks.

_Fancy? It's going to take a while to get used to all these British terms._

"Yes, Fabian, I would _fancy _that," I say, mocking his accent. He smiles.

~TIME SKIP TO END OF DAY~

I sat with Fabian at every class. It turns out we share an interest in mythology (go figure, since we're freaking descendants of the gods). We've partnered up for a project on Greek mythology.

"Fabian," I call. He's in the kitchen and I'm sitting on the couch. "You want to get started on the project?"

"Sure!" he responds.

"Okay, what myth do you want to use to do a project on?" I ask.

"I was thinking the one about the minotaur," he suggests. I shiver. That brings back some memories. Let's just say I hope I never have to fight the Minotaur again.

"Okay," I manage. "The king and queen took twelve boys and twelve girls each year to feed the Minotaur." Fabian nods, as if to tell me to continue.

"One year a man got fed up, not wanting anymore people to die because of the monster. So he volunteered to slay it. The king's daughter fell in love with him and decided to help him, so she held on to a ball of string while he found his way in the maze. That way he could find his way out. Long story short he killed the creature and when he got back he married the princess. Then he headed back to his home country. He had promised his father he would put up white flags if he survived and black flags if he died, but he totally forgot so when his dad saw the ship he jumped off a cliff and killed himself," I explain.

Fabian is staring at me with his mouth hanging wide open. "Where did you even learn all that?"

I blush and shrug. "My parents read me Greek myths instead of bed time stories."

**A/N: Does anyone have any ideas on where to take this story next because right now I am suffering from major writing block. Leave a review if you have any ideas, and I'll give you a shoutout in the next chapter!**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	7. Chapter 6

**A/N: Sorry this took so long!**

**Credit goes out to HouseofAnubis writer and GreekGoddess00 who helped me develop the idea for this chapter!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything.**

FABIAN'S POV

Nina laughs, sitting across from me on the grass. She's become my best friend over the months I've known her. And I want to be more than friends.

How am I supposed to tell Nina that?

"You want to take a hike in the woods, Fabian?" she suggests, smiling.

"Sounds great," I reply. I stand up, the grab her hand and yank her off the ground. I drag her toward the path, not letting go of her hand.

It's the very beginning of spring, so the trees are just growing leaves. There are very little flowers growing in the dirt, and when we stick our bare feet in the river water, it's freezing.

Nina's hand reaches down in the water and she splashes me. Still shocked, she gets away before I can splash her back. She disappears off in the trees.

"Nina!" I call. "I'm going to get you!"

I chase after her, and look around. Where could she have possibly gone? Everything is quiet. There's no crinkling leaves to signal footsteps, or animal noises to let me know that she's scared them off.

"Nina?" I call again. "Where are you?" I begin to get worried until –

"BOO!" she shouts as she jumps out of the tree in front of me.

"Bloody hell, Nina! **(A/N: *fangirls* I just had to put that in because I'm a Potterhead like that. TOTAL Ron Weasley moment :D)** Don't do that to me!" I say.

She just smiles. "Aw, were you worried?" she teases. I feel a blush creeping up in my cheeks.

"Maybe…."

Her face suddenly turns serious. "You know, Fabian…I really like you. You're such a great friend."

"I really like you too, Nina." Our faces inch closer and closer together until finally our lips meet. We stay that way for a few seconds until she pulls back abruptly.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, worried.

"Did you hear that?" she says, her face alert. She glances around.

"Hear what?"

Nina walks around, peeking behind various trees. She starts muttering to herself, and then freezes again. I know why. I heard it this time.

"Was that…growling?" I ask slowly and quietly. She nods and her hand begins to reach to her pocket.

**~~~~LINE BREAK BECAUSE I'M COOL LIKE THAT ~~~~**

NINA/ANNABETH'S POV

Instinctively, my hand reaches for my pocket for my pen. I inherited it from my father when he died. When I uncap it, it transforms into a sword. I can never lose it. It will always end up back in my pocket, no matter what. It's name is Riptide, and it's one of the only things I've got left of my parents.

I knew something bad was happening from the minute I heard the first growl. I silently pray that I imagined it, but then Fabian heard it too. I knew I couldn't procrastinate any longer.

"Fabian," I say quietly, motioning for him to crouch behind a tree with me. "There is something _extremely _important I need to tell you."

"What?" he says, slightly surprised.

"You're a…"

That's when it attacked.

**A/N: SOOO sorry but I couldn't resist that cliffy right there. I'm realizing it can be fun to be cruel like that…just kidding of course I won't leave you guys waiting for too long!**

**~NinaKatnissWeasley7**


	8. Chapter 7

**A/N: I can't tell you guys how sorry I am that I haven't updated in so long. My other fandoms have kind of taken over my life and they've been my main focus lately, but I am **_**not**_** going to leave this story unfinished. I can't promise regular updates, but I will do my absolute best. You've got at least two more chapters coming in the next week, I promise.**

The hellhound jumped from its hiding spot deep in the trees. I uncap my pen and it transforms into a sword in moments. Fabian is still in shock, and when the monster's claws go after him, he dodges it, rolling out of the way.

"Nina, what is that thing?" he yells.

"Kind of busy!" I shout back. I can already tell this isn't going to end well. I jump on the monster, digging my sword into its shoulder. Blood seeps from the wound, but it only seems to make the dog angrier.

It turns around and scratches at me around the waist, nails digging into my side and poking through skin. I let out an angry cry, swiping at it with Riptide. It makes a significant gash in its side, but it doesn't give up.

"Fabian, go up a tree or something! Don't let it hurt you!" I call. The hellhound jumps at me, and I drop to the ground quickly before scrambling back to my feet and turning around to face it. I almost feel sorry for it for a split second, taking in its confused expression, but the feeling dissipates when it growls again. Before it has the chance to move, I take one last stab at it with my sword – straight through the heart. It vanishes into golden dust.

I take a deep breath, wincing at the pain that rips through my side. I look down at the tear in my shirt and scowl.

"This was my favorite shirt," I mumble. I run my fingers tenderly over the shallow scratch on my side. "Stupid dog."

"Nina, what just happened?" I turn around to Fabian's wide eyes. He looks me up and down, his eyes settling on Riptide. "That thing…it was…"

"Not now, yeah? Don't freak out. We need to get out of here; I wouldn't be surprised if there were more on our trail."

"What are you talking about? Why are there vicious dogs following us?"

"Not dogs, hellhounds," I say as I begin the trek out of the deep woods. I knew this would happen eventually, but I hoped I would have had longer before the monsters found me. They always ruin everything – the only safe place is Camp Half-Blood, and there's an entire ocean between here and there.

"What?"

"Fabian, I promise, I'll explain everything to you once we get somewhere _safe._ Right now, we just need to _go._"

"Why are you headed that way, then? Anubis is in the other direction!"

"Fabian, you just need to trust me right now."

"Why should I do that?" he asks angrily. "What aren't you telling me, Nina? Clearly you've been hiding things from me. You're carrying a _sword_ right now. You just killed a giant black dog and it vanished into thin air and I would be convinced this was a dream if it wasn't all so real. What kind of normal teenage girl carries a weapon like that? Kills something without even blinking an eye, without even hesitating?" The sound of his footsteps behind me stops. I rub my eyes in frustration. Sometimes my life is too complicated. Sometimes I just want to be a normal girl who can go on a hike with a guy she likes without being attacked by a hellhound.

"You're right," I agree with a sigh. "You have no reason to trust me. I haven't told you about any of this because it's dangerous, and I didn't want you to get hurt. The more you know, the easier it is for them to find you. I know too much."

"Tell me what is going on. Right now," Fabian says, crossing his arms. I bite my lip, looking around the area. If there were any more hellhounds out here, they would have found us by now.

"Sit down. It's a long story."


	9. Chapter 8

**~HOA~**

Fabian plops down on a fallen tree, leaning forward so his elbows are on his knees. He looks at me expectantly, raising his eyebrows. I settle down on a tree stump a few feet away from him, refusing to look him in the eyes. I stare down at the ground, trying to ignore the pain in my side.

"First thing I want you to know is I'm sorry. I never wanted to lie to you, but I had to keep you safe, and I want you to understand that," I say quietly. He doesn't say anything, but I continue.

"You know in Greek mythology, when the gods would have affairs with mortals? Then they would end up with a kid, like Hercules or Perseus."

"Yeah, the demigods."

"You're one of those kids, basically. And I'm here to protect you." I say, looking up to gauge his reaction. He stares at me blankly.

"Huh?"

"Your dad, he was never around when you were younger, was he?"

"My mom and dad are divorced. I've never met my father, he ran off with someone else when I was a baby. He didn't want the responsibility."

"That's true, at least," I mutter. "But…not exactly. That's part of the truth. He didn't want the responsibility, they never do. But he's not human, your dad. He's a god. Zeus."

"You're completely mental," he declares, staring at me. I shake my head.

"I'm telling you the truth, Fabian. You're a demigod. I'm a demigod, too. Or, at least, my parents were. My father was the son of Poseidon; my mother was a daughter of Athena. Technically, I'm second generation. I told you they died in a car crash when I was nine – that was a lie. They were killed by a demon. I was raised to fight those things – the monsters from the myths, they're all real. They come after the children of the gods, and over the past few years, it's been worsening. That's the whole reason I was sent here to get you. It's too dangerous for you to be out here on your own."

Fabian remains silent. I give him a sympathetic smile.

"I know this is a lot to take in. You'll get used to it. Everyone does."

"There's no way this is real…is this some sort of prank? Did you team up with Alfie and Jerome? I've got to give it to you, this was impressive. How did you pull it off?" he laughs.

I just raise an eyebrow at him. His smile fades.

"You're not joking." I shake my head.

"I'm sorry. I'm not."

"So…I'm a demigod."

"Yeah."

"Why did you wait so long to tell me about all of this?"

"I…" I trail off, thinking for a moment. "I guess I was enjoying myself a bit too much. It was kind of nice to pretend for a while that I was a normal person. I've never had a life like this. Every single day since I could walk, I've been training, studying mythology. Learning how to use weapons and plan battle strategies that most people would never even dream of. It's all a bit much, and sometimes…I just want to be a regular person. I don't want to worry about monsters and demons. I don't want to have to fight my way through life; I shouldn't have to protect myself in order to survive. And I let myself get carried away." I run my fingers through my hair awkwardly, blushing and turning away. My feet kick at the dirt. "Sorry. I shouldn't be ranting about my life; you've got enough on your plate at the moment."

"Nina?"Fabian asks after a moment of silence. I make a small noise in my throat to let him know that I'm listening. "I just…all of this, all these months I've known you…I don't know how to tell what's been real and what was a lie."


	10. Chapter 9

"I'm not as smart as you think," I tell Fabian.

"You know more than I do about a lot of things," he says. I shake my head.

"I told you how my mom was a daughter of Athena – the wisdom is inherited. I've been hacking into the school system and changing all my grades to A's. I can't even read anything unless it's written in ancient Greek, my dyslexia is too bad."

"You've got dyslexia?"

"Yeah, ADHD too. They're common among demigods."

"Right." It's silent for a minute.

"I'm not the same person you think I am," I admit, "but not all of it was a lie. Honestly, I've got one of the worst attitudes in the history of the world. If I hadn't been trying to get on your good side when I first got here, I would probably be spending my free time with Alfie and Jerome instead of you. I'm a prankster like that; I got it from my Uncle Grover. I don't like to let people boss me around. I'll tell them off in a split second. I've been holding my tongue all year." I laugh bitterly. "But I don't think I've been doing it as much anymore. Spending all this time with you, you've rubbed off on me. I'm better now, at being polite and things."

"You think I've changed you?"

"You've definitely changed me. For the better. I'm still a hot mess, but a better one."

He hesitates for a moment. "I believe you, Nina. About the demigods and monsters and everything. I just don't understand why you had to put on this huge act in order to tell me about all of it."

I give him a disbelieving look, but can't help the smirk that crosses my face.

"Are you telling me that if I walked up to you on the first day we met and said 'By the way, you're a demigod, and your dad is Zeus!' you would have believed me?"

"Okay, maybe not," he says, cracking a smile. I shake my head.

"My life is so messed up. Even _I_ can't tell what's real and what's not anymore."

"What about us?"

"Huh?"

"I mean…" Fabian blushes, rubbing his neck nervously. "Before the hellhound, earlier…was that real?"

"Oh," I realize, flushing red when I realize he's talking about the fact that we kissed. "I mean…if you want it to be."

"Good," he says, smiling with relief. "I mean…"

"I know," I interrupt, smiling. "I really do like you, Fabian. That much is true." I get up slowly, walking over and sitting next to him on his fallen tree. He smiles at me and I can't help but grin back.

"Life's about to get a bit crazy isn't it?" he asks. I nod.

"Oh, definitely. Welcome to my world. Enjoy your stay," I say, rolling my eyes.

"As long as I've got you to help me, I think I'll be okay."

Hesitantly, he leans in closer, and I meet him halfway, pressing my lips against his and smiling against his mouth. His hands come to my waist and pain shoots up my side. I pull back abruptly, wincing.

"Ow."

"What's wrong?" he asks immediately, alarmed. I motion to my side.

"Got scratched," I say.

"Why didn't you say so? We need to get you patched up!" he says, standing up and holding out an arm. I grab onto it and let him help me up. We turn around and start heading back to the house.

"I'm thinking we tell Trudy we were walking in the woods and you decided to climb a tree, but you fell out because you're clumsy and got scratched by a branch on the way down."

"No need, I can fix myself up," I say shaking my head as we walk. "Just like in the stories, I've got ambrosia hidden in a plastic baggie under my bed. Eat that, bandage it up, I'll be fine in a day or two."

"If you're sure," Fabian shrugs. "You probably know more than me."

"You know, you're handling this pretty well," I tell him. "Usually people are up the wall by now."

"I don't know. I guess, the way you say everything makes it all seem kind of normal. I just have one question."

"What's that?"

"Why now? All these years I haven't known anything about this stuff, and all of a sudden, you're sent along to come tell me."

"I mentioned earlier, recently there has been a lot more monsters wandering about the Earth. You're exposed, now, Fabian, and that's dangerous. And you're not going to like this, but we're going to need to leave, as soon as possible." I start to tell him about the prophecy, but I bite my lip. He doesn't need to know about that until we get to camp. Chiron will be better at explaining than I am.

"Leave? Go where?"

"Camp Half-Blood. It's where I was raised, in America. It's in rural New York. Tons of demigods live there. You need to be trained, and taught how to defend yourself against everything that's out there. You need to know what you're dealing with."

"I'm just supposed to drop everything and go?"

"I wish there was another way," I say apologetically. "Really, I do."

"What about my mom?"

"She'll understand. She knows about this stuff, about camp, and all that. Chiron has already contacted her, he's the camp director. He's a centaur."

"Even my mom has been hiding this from me. My entire life, I've been lied to," Fabian mutters. "Anything else I need to know?"

"Well, if you're asking…" I sigh. "My name isn't Nina Martin."

"Of course it's not," he grumbles. Clearly the knowledge that he needs to leave the country has put him in a mood. "What is it, then?"

"Annabeth Jackson. I was named after my mom," I say. "Look, there's the house. Come on, then."

"Annabeth Jackson," he says quietly as we go, trying it out on his tongue.

"And Fabian? This is kind of important," I say, stopping at the door to Anubis. He looks at me expectantly.

"Yeah?"

"You can't tell anyone about this. No one can know."


	11. Chapter 10

"Of course not. They would think I'm absolutely mental anyway."

"We need to talk about other stuff, alright? I'll meet you in the kitchen, I'm going to put on a new shirt and bandage up," I say. He nods.

"I've got to grab some new socks from my room anyway," he says, gesturing toward his foot. I notice a long tear in the fabric and grin.

I make my way up the stairs and into the room I share with Amber, who's currently downstairs with Mick. I let out a small laugh when I realize Fabian might be walking in on one of their make-out sessions. I shake my head and reach under me bed for some ambrosia, which I chew and swallow quickly. Then I take off my shirt, dig deep in my drawer for some gauze and antiseptic, and bandage my wound. Once I'm finished, I place everything back where it's supposed to be and grab a fresh shirt. Then I head back downstairs and into the kitchen to wait for Fabian.

"There you are, Nina!" Amber bounds into the room excitedly, with Mick and Fabian grudgingly following her. "I've been looking all over! But Fabian says you went on a walk?"

"Yeah, through the woods," I shrug. She nods, making a face and reaching out to touch my hair. She pulls a leaf out of it.

"I can tell." I blush and glare at Fabian.

"Why didn't you tell me that was there?"

"I was a bit preoccupied with other things!" he points out, crossing his arms. Alright, I'll give him that. I did basically rewrite his entire life within the frame of an hour. It wasn't on the forefront of his mind to tell me I had greenery in my hair.

Amber, however, seemed to get the wrong idea.

"What other things?" she asks suspiciously. Fabian and I glance at each other. I try to tell him with my eyes.

_Don't breathe a word._

"Oh my god," Amber says, totally calmly. Then she squeals. "Oh my god you guys totally kissed! Fabina! I knew it! I knew it, I knew it! I should be a professional matchmaker!"

There's no way Fabian and I can even try to deny it with the way we blush and look away from each other awkwardly. Amber dances around the kitchen happily. Mick just smiles.

"That's great, guys, really. Finally got a girlfriend, Fabian, it's about time," Mick teases. Fabian goes even redder.

"Shut up, Mick," Fabian mumbles halfheartedly.

"What is Amber screeching about now?" Patricia asks, walking into the room.

"Fabina!" Amber says, jumping up and down.

"Fabina? As in, Fabian and Nina?" Patricia repeats, looking back and forth between us. "No way."

"It's going to be a long night," I groan. "No one is going to leave me alone."

"Why is that?" Mara asks, joining the conversation in the doorway. Alfie and Jerome poke their heads in behind her.

"Are we missing anyone else?" I say sarcastically. Right on cue, Trudy makes her way in talking to Victor. I put my hand on my forehead. Mick smirks and gets up onto the counter.

"Everyone, please, I have an announcement," he says loudly in the already silent room.

"Get down from there!" Victor scowls. Mick ignores him.

"Fabian and Nina are finally in a relationship! Commence celebration!"

"Oh! That's lovely!" Trudy says happily. Mara beams at me.

"That's wonderful, I'm so happy for you," she says.

"No way. Fabian? A girlfriend? Have you been drinking, Nina?" Jerome asks seriously. I roll my eyes and whack him in the arm.

"Shut up." Alfie opens his mouth, but I hold up a hand and he shrinks away from me. "Not a word out of you."

"Alright, the big news is out. Everyone can continue on with their lives now!" I say, motioning for everyone to go on with whatever they had been doing before. I meet eyes with Fabian and nod toward the door. We go out into the hall.

"You go out front, I go out the back. Meet me there. We need to find a place to talk without people listening in on us."

He nods, strolling down the corridor to the front door, and I turn the opposite way and walk outside. In the back of the house, there's a small yard-ish patch of grass before the thick woods take over again. I start thinking about places we could go when I hear Fabian's footsteps.

"Follow me," he says, nodding back the way he came. I jog to meet up with him and then match his steady walking pace. He leads me down a few of the paths toward the school grounds, but makes a sharp turn when I don't expect him to onto a patch of grass. A short brick wall runs up and down the road and he walks over to a small gap between two sections of the wall. A path leads to a small pond, shaded by a number of large leafy trees, which would explain why I've never seen the place before. Slightly surprised, I follow him down. He sits on a rock and stares at the water, tossing a pebble in. Watching the still water ripple, I sit right at the foot of the water.

"Perfect," I say quietly, looking up and smiling at him.


	12. Chapter 11

"I come here sometimes when I need to be alone," Fabian says softly. "It's my hiding place."

"It reminds me of the lake back at camp," I muse, running my hand through the chilled water. "I've always got it to myself, especially at night. I love the water."

"You would, wouldn't you? Being a descendant of Poseidon and all," Fabian says, getting up to sit next to me. I nod, grinning. My smile fades a bit when a thought crosses my mind. I try to plaster a fake grin back on my face, but Fabian notices.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just get kind of lonely sometimes at camp. I'm the only descendant of Poseidon, really. No brothers or sisters to keep me company in the cabin…" I trail off, clearing my throat. "Anyway. Want to see something?"

"Sure," he shrugs. I look at the water, holding out my hand and concentrating. A sphere of water swirls into existence and hangs in the air in front of us. Fabian's eyes widen and he reaches out to touch it. He pokes it with his forefinger and it wobbles a bit, but stays floating. Then I release my hold on it and let it plop back into the pond.

"My dad taught me how to do that before he died," I say, remembering the day. It's one of the best memories I have of him, and I don't have many.

"Wow," he breathes. "That just…really put things into perspective. This is actually happening to me, I'm not completely human."

"That's not necessarily a bad thing," I point out. "You're human in all the ways that count. Mainly, emotion. You care about things around you, you love people, and people love you."

"But I have to leave it all behind now," he sighs, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "I have to go back to America with you, to Camp Half-Blood, and I might not ever see my friends again."

"I'm sorry," I say awkwardly, not sure how to handle the situation. The truth is, I've never really had anything to leave behind before. Sure, I've left Camp Half-Blood tons of times to recruit newfound demigods, but always with the intention of returning. Fabian might not be able to come back, not without the monsters following him. "But really, this is the best for everyone."

"It's the best for me, maybe," he scoffs. "But not the rest of the house. I have to leave all my friends. I have to leave my mom, my uncle, my cousin…"

"It's safer for everyone if you're at camp, Fabian, believe me. If we don't go soon, the monsters will start sniffing you out right away, especially now that you know about it all. The more you know, the stronger your scent is. The people who you're close to will be in danger. Even camp is dangerous sometimes. It doesn't happen often, but every once and a while a monster will break through the safety barrier."

"So I'm just supposed to cut myself off from society for the rest of my life? That's not fair."

"I know it's not fair, Fabian. I grew up that way. I didn't even _leave_ the camp grounds until I was at least five. My parents wanted to keep me safe from all the danger out there. Look where that got them – literally anyone I've ever been close to gets hurt or has died. That's part of the reason why I don't have any friends. I don't like getting close to people, because all it does is hurt in the end. If I were you, I would be running right now."

"Come on, you've got to have friends," Fabian says, putting a hand on my shoulder. "Even _I've _got friends. If I can do it, then you definitely can. And if it's true that the people at camp are stupid enough to dislike you, I'll reassure you now that _I'm_ not going to abandon you."

I crack a smile, but it's a small one. "Thank you. The thing is, I wouldn't count adults as my friends. I don't have anyone to talk to, or go to movies with, or just mess around with in my spare time. No one at camp likes me. As a matter of fact, I think I terrify them. The only two kids who actually have the guts to talk to me – Troy and Dylan – they're three years younger than us. And they're guys. I don't have any girl friends."

"But you have got _friends_. And you've got me now, I suppose."

"Yeah, I guess I do," I smile. I look at him sympathetically. "I can't even begin to understand what it's like to leave your life behind like this, but you have to believe me when I say it's what's best."

"I trust you," he nods. I look at him carefully, seeing that he's holding something back.

"What is it?"

"What do you want me to call you, now? I mean, when we're alone?"

"Is that all? I guess I would prefer Annabeth…considering it's my name and all."

He laughs. "Alright. Annabeth it is."

"We should probably get back to Anubis," I sigh, watching the sky begin to darken.

"I think you're right."

"I'll contact Chiron tomorrow morning about what the plan is. We can talk about it after breakfast, okay? Since we don't have class."

"Sure," Fabian shrugs. "I don't think it's quite sunk in yet what is happening to me. It all just feels so surreal."

"You're handling it well," I say, standing up. He hops to his feet right behind me, grabbing my hand as we walk back to the house.

"Thanks. I try."


	13. Chapter 12

I wake up early the next morning, right when the sun is rising, and dig under my bed for my small box of golden drachmae that I took from camp when I first came here. Putting a few in my pocket, I toss on a pair of jeans and a zip-up hoodie, pulling it over my head. I sneak out quietly, trying not to wake Amber. The stairs seem to squeak extra loudly on the way down to the door, and it creaks as it swings open. That's the worst thing about living in an old building like this. They might be beautiful, but they're noisy.

It's quiet outside. No one is really awake yet. The sky is a deep orange color, just beginning to rise. I follow the path that Fabian led me down yesterday to the small pond. Small bits of sunlight stream through the trees, creating small rainbows over the water. It's just what I need to Iris Message Chiron at camp.

I toss a golden drachma in the air, thinking as hard as I can:

_Oh, Iris, goddess of the Rainbow, please accept my offering._

Iris appears next to me in a flash. She looks me up and down.

"Camp Half-Blood, I'm assuming?" she asks, sounding bored. I nod.

"Chiron, specifically."

"Give me a minute," she sighs, vanishing. A moment later, mist starts swirling in front of me and the image of Chiron comes into view. He smiles.

"It's been a while since we last spoke, Annabeth. How is the mission going?"

"I had to tell him yesterday," I say bluntly. "We got attacked by a hellhound." Chiron's smile fades and he looks concerned.

"They've found you. That's not good."

"No kidding. We need to get back to camp as soon as possible. I don't know if there are any more out there, but if there are, we're leading them right into civilization, and the Mist isn't strong enough to hide all of them from the mortals. They'll be in danger."

"I'm going to arrange the soonest flight back," Chiron says. "Get packed right away. I'll call your house mother and say that your grandfather is sick and you need to go back home immediately."

"How am I supposed to explain Fabian?"

"We'll say his family can't afford the school anymore. I'm going to contact his mother and explain everything."

"Alright," I sigh. Chiron frowns.

"Are you okay, Annabeth?"

"Yeah, yeah," I say quickly. "I…I'm just gonna miss this place more than I realized. I actually have _friends_, here, Chiron – people who like me. People I can just hang out with, not having to worry about some mythical creature about to attack me at all times."

"I'm sorry," he says simply. "I know how hard it must be. But remember that you're doing this for the good of everyone."

"That doesn't make it any easier," I say quietly, looking to the ground. I've fought tons of different kinds of monsters, trained endlessly for battle – but _this_ has got to be one of the harder things I'll have to do. Chiron is just silent, looking sympathetic for a moment. I clear my throat and shake my head.

"I'm going to head back to Anubis. Call Trudy with the details about the flight and whatnot," I say. Chiron nods.

"I'll see you soon," he says. His image vanishes before my eyes, the mist dissipating into the air. I shove my hands in my pockets and breathe in the morning air, taking in my surroundings for what's likely one of the last times. Then I turn around and head back toward the house without looking back.

When I walk inside, I can smell Trudy's pancakes cooking, and I bite my lip. I'm going to miss her pancakes – they're absolutely delicious, the best I've ever had. I brush my hair out of my face quickly and rub my eyes, trying to hold myself together. It's just now hitting me, all the different things I'm going to miss. Trudy's pancakes, Jerome and Alfie's pranks, Mick's sports rambling, Patricia's annoyance with everyone and everything, Mara's incredible intelligence, Amber's nonstop chatter in my ear about the latest celebrity gossip…even Victor dropping the pin at ten o clock every night. How pathetic is that?

I walk through the doors into the kitchen. Trudy is surprised to see me.

"Nina! You're up a bit early for Saturday morning," she says. I shrug.

"I couldn't sleep. Not that tired, really. I decided to go on a morning jog."

"Well, since you're down here, would you mind helping me out with breakfast?"

"Not at all," I smile. Trudy beams and hands me a bowl and mixing spoon. I start stirring. She's spooning some prepared batter onto a frying pan. For a while, we work silently. I try to engrave every sight, smell, and sound into my brain. All the while, I wait for the phone to ring, knowing it's coming. Chiron has got to call soon.

Sure enough, the phone starts ringing, causing both Trudy and I to jump. She looks at me, slightly amused.

"Who could possibly be calling at this time in the morning?" she asks incredulously. I shrug, even though I know exactly who. I tend to the pancakes on the frying pan while Trudy rushes off to answer it.

"Hello?" Trudy says pleasantly. "Oh, yes. What can I do for you? Oh, dear! That's awful, I'm so sorry. Is he alright? Of course, of course, I completely understand…I'll tell her right away. Yes. Thank you. Goodbye."

Trudy walks back into the kitchen looking conflicted, like she wants to say it but she can't quite get it out.

"Who was that, Trudy?"

"It was your uncle, Nina," Trudy says softly.

"Why was my uncle calling?"

"It…it seems that your grandfather had a heart attack, sweetie. Your family wants you to come home."

"Oh my god!" I gasp. "Grandpa had a heart attack? Is he okay?"

"The doctors aren't sure if he'll be able to recover," Trudy says, taking my hand. I force fake tears into my eyes.

"Oh god. Oh, god," I say, wrapping my arms around Trudy quickly. She hugs me tightly.

"They've arranged for you to take the soonest flight back to America. It leaves tomorrow morning at six o clock."

"Oh, god, Grandpa. I can't believe it," I choke out. I pull back from Trudy, wiping my eyes.

"Here, dear. Have some pancakes before you start packing," she insists, piling a plate with three of the circular slices of heaven.

"Thank you, Trudy," I say, taking the plate from her and sitting down at the dining room table. Fabian enters the room, dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, hair like he's just rolled out of bed (which he probably has). He looks at my sorry state, and nods. He sits next to me at the table.

"My Grandpa had a heart attack, Fabian. I have to go home for a while," I say loudly, so Trudy can hear. Then I lower my voice. "Chiron will have your mom call later. The cover is that your parents can't afford to send you here anymore."

Fabian nods wordlessly, hugging me quickly.

"It'll all be okay, Nina," he says, also speaking a bit loud. It sounds more like he's trying to convince himself, though.


End file.
